Presentation of Decorations of Bravery at the Citadelle of Québec

February 18, 2016Updated on February 19, 2016

Governor General to Present 31 Decorations for Braveryat the Citadelle of Québec

OTTAWA—His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, will present 31 Medals of Bravery on Monday, February 22, 2016, at 10:30 a.m., during a ceremony at the Residence of the Governor General at the Citadelle of Québec.

Created in 1972, Decorations for Bravery recognize people who risked their lives to try to save or protect the lives of others. The Cross of Valour (C.V.) recognizes acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril; the Star of Courage (S.C.) recognizes acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril; and the Medal of Bravery (M.B.) recognizes acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances.

A media schedule for the presentation ceremony, a list of recipients and their citations, and a fact sheet on the Decorations for Bravery are enclosed. For more information on Canadian honours, please visit our website at www.gg.ca/honours.

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Media wishing to cover this ceremony are asked to confirm their attendance with the Rideau Hall Press Office, and must arrive no later than 10:15 a.m. on the day of the ceremony. Accreditation must be shown at the Citadelle gate (Côte de la Citadelle, near the St. Louis Gate) prior to accessing the Ballroom via the administration door.

9:45 a.m.: Media start to arrive at the Citadelle of Québec10:30 a.m.: Ceremony begins The Governor General speaks The Governor General presents the Decorations for Bravery11:45 a.m.: Interviews with recipients

RECIPIENTS

MEDAL OF BRAVERY

Sergeant Christopher Armstrong, M.B.

Newmarket, Ont.

Keven Blanchette, M.B.

Saint-Félix-de-Dalquier, Que.

Brian Jason Cochrane, M.B.

Hantsport, N.S.

Michel Côté, M.B.

Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Que.

Sergeant Claude Cuillerier, M.B.

Laval, Que.

Jonathan Desrochers, M.B.

Rouyn-Noranda, Que.

Mina Eglaycus, M.B.

Mississauga, Ont.

Constable Michael Dean Fox, M.B.

Fredericton, N.B.

Michelle Gendron, M.B.

Québec, Que.

Gerald Douglas Greenfield, M.B.

Hagersville, Ont.

Annick Lajoie, M.B.

Saint-Raymond-de-Portneuf, Que.

André Larouche, M.B.

Verchères, Que.

Sergeant Martin R. LeBlanc, M.B.

Russell, Ont.

Constable Yves Leclerc, M.B.

Repentigny, Que.

RCMP Sergeant Jacques Marcheterre, M.B.

Ottawa, Ont.

Sylvain Christian Pedneault, M.B.

Burton, N.B.

RCMP Sergeant Pierre Pellerin, M.B., C.D.

Brossard, Que.

Douglas James Petheram, M.B.

Hagersville, Ont.

Constable Sophie Pilon, M.B.

Île-Bizard, Que.

Stéphane Poirier, M.B.

Lochaber-Partie-Ouest, Que.

François Pollak, M.B.

Montbeillard, Que.

James Blair Raoul, M.B.

Fredericton, N.B.

RCMP Constable Paul-André Rodrigue, M.B.

Saint-Georges, Que.

Sergeant Denis Roy, M.B.

Trois-Rivières, Que.

Michael Lloyd Serbinek, M.B.

Washago, Ont.

Constable Konstantin Soukatchev, M.B.

Toronto, Ont.

Christian Vaillancourt, M.B.

Québec, Que.

Mario Guy Vaillancourt, M.B.

Val D’Or, Que.

Detective-Sergeant Benoit Vigeant, M.O.M, M.B., C.D.

Montréal, Que.

Inspector Ronald Wheeldon, M.B.

Victoria Harbour, Ont.

Sergeant Brent Douglas Young, M.B.

Orillia, Ont.

The information in this press release reflects the rank of the recipients at the time of the event for which they are being recognized.

On August 6, 2013, Sergeant Christopher Armstrong, of the York Regional Police, and Constable Konstantin Soukatchev, of the Toronto Police Service, contributed to the apprehension of an armed man in Newmarket, Ontario. The off-duty and unarmed officers had noticed the man’s odd behaviour and the outline of a long gun visible through his clothing. They pursued the suspect and, after a brief struggle, they managed to restrain him until the police arrived.

On January 25, 2014, six miners risked their lives to rescue a colleague following a workplace accident in Desmaraisville, Quebec. The man was trapped beneath a large rock 30 metres below ground. For more than 20 minutes, the rescuers frantically worked to free the victim, disregarding the threat of other landslides occurring in the area. With the only light coming from their hard hats, they struggled to lift the boulder off the victim and bring him to safety.

The Medal of Bravery awarded to Mr. Naud will be presented to him at a future ceremony.

Brian Jason Cochrane, M.B.Hantsport, Nova Scotia

On February 5, 2011, Brian Cochrane braved the freezing waters of the Atlantic Ocean to try and rescue a young woman in Hantsport, Nova Scotia. Her vehicle had slid off the wharf and flipped onto its roof into the Minas Basin. Mr. Cochrane climbed down a ladder to the vehicle and desperately tried to pull the victim out as the car swayed in the strong, fast-rising tide. As firefighters arrived to complete the rescue, witnesses helped Mr. Cochrane, suffering from hypothermia, back up onto the wharf. Sadly, the victim did not survive.

On January 12, 2010, a major earthquake struck Haiti, causing unprecedented devastation that left more than 160 000 people dead or injured. A group of officers from the RCMP and from the Ottawa and Montréal police services who were on assignment in the country did not hesitate to help with the rescue effort. They entered the damaged buildings to look for survivors amid the piles of debris. Despite the risks posed by the imminent collapse of the unstable structures, the officers persevered in their painstaking search and successfully extracted several victims.

Mina Eglaycus, M.B.Mississauga, Ontario

On June 22, 2014, Mina Eglaycus rescued the driver of a burning vehicle following a collision on Highway 427 near Toronto, Ontario. After witnessing the accident, Mr. Eglaycus ran to the car and attempted to unbuckle the victim’s seatbelt. The heavy smoke forced him to retreat, but on his third attempt, he pulled the victim to safety moments before the vehicle became fully engulfed in flames.

Constable Michael Dean Fox, M.B.Fredericton, New Brunswick

On September 4, 2013, Constable Mike Fox, of the Fredericton Police Service, rescued a suicidal man who had climbed over the guardrail of a walking bridge in Fredericton, New Brunswick. While several bystanders were attempting to talk the man back over the rail, Constable Fox quietly moved in beside him without being seen. He then jumped forward to restrain the man by pinning him against the railing and wrapping his arms around him until other officers arrived to help.

On June 25, 2013, Lieutenant David Gauvin and Annick Lajoie rescued a man from a burning vehicle following a collision near Saint-Augustin, Quebec. Using blankets and fire extinguishers to douse the fire, Lieutenant Gauvin slipped into the vehicle to continue fighting the flames while Ms. Lajoie entered through the trunk. Despite the heat and toxic fumes, Ms. Lajoie succeeded in partially removing the victim by the driver’s side door and attempted to revive him. Sadly, the victim did not survive.

The Medal of Bravery awarded to Lieutenant Gauvin will be presented to him at a future ceremony.

Michelle Gendron, M.B.Christian Vaillancourt, M.B.Québec, Quebec

On July 27, 2012, Michelle Gendron and her spouse Christian Vaillancourt rescued their four children from a burning cottage in Saint-Clément, Quebec. The two adults had been sitting outside after the children had gone to bed. Suddenly, they noticed flames quickly spreading to the roof of the cottage. Ms. Gendron and Mr. Vaillancourt ran to the back bedroom where their children slept and, despite the intensifying heat, smoke and flames, succeeded in bringing all four children safely outside.

On January 26, 2013, Gerald Greenfield and Douglas Petheram rescued two people from their damaged vehicle after a collision with a hydro pole in Townsend, Ontario. Fearing that sparks from the downed power line would ignite the gas leaking from a damaged gas meter, Messrs. Greenfield and Petheram tried in vain to shut off the gas line. They then rushed to the vehicle, pulled the injured occupants out and brought them a safe distance away.

André Larouche, M.B.Verchères, Quebec

On January 13, 2012, Fire Chief André Larouche confronted a man who had attacked two city officials with a knife at City Hall, in Verchères, Quebec. Mr. Larouche heard a commotion coming from an office and forced open the door to the room. He rammed into the attacker, knocking the knife out of his hand. The two victims ran out while Mr. Larouche restrained the attacker until the police arrived.

On April 9, 2011, Janice Lovering and Michael Serbinek pulled an elderly man from a burning house in Washago, Ontario. Mrs. Lovering had crawled inside the house and tried to pull her neighbour out but she had to abandon her efforts due to the heavy smoke. Despite the spreading flames and intense heat, Mr. Serbinek entered the house, crawled to the victim and dragged him outside. Sadly, the man did not survive.

The Medal of Bravery awarded to Mrs. Lovering will be presented to her at a future ceremony.

On January 20, 2014, James Raoul and Sylvain Pedneault stopped a classmate who was attacking their teacher at Eastern College, in Fredericton, New Brunswick. After striking Mr. Raoul several times in the head with a machete, the assailant turned on the teacher. Despite his wounds, Mr. Raoul attempted to stop the attack by flipping a table onto the assailant. He then tackled the man to the floor outside the room, where Mr. Pedneault helped wrestle him into submission.

On May 18, 2013, constables Nicholas-Yan Charbonneau, Yannick Horion and Sophie Pilon, of the Régie intermunicipale de police Thérèse-De Blainville, rescued five people from a smoke-filled apartment in Sainte-Thérèse-de-Blainville, Quebec. The victims had tried to escape but had fallen unconscious before they could reach the door. Struggling to breathe in the toxic smoke, the officers entered the house several times to locate the victims and bring them safely outside, one by one.

The Medals of Bravery awarded to constables Charbonneau and Horion were presented to them at a previous ceremony.

Stéphane Poirier, M.B.Lochaber-Partie-Ouest, Quebec

On November 23, 2013, firefighter Stéphane Poirier rescued a woman from a vehicle partially submerged in the Gatineau River, in Gatineau, Quebec. The driver had lost control of her car on the snowy roads. The vehicle plunged down an embankment and became caught in the river’s strong rapids. A witness to the scene flagged down a passing flatbed truck carrying a crane. Mr. Poirier tied himself to the crane’s hook and had the crane operator lower him onto the roof of the car. He helped the woman climb out and the two of them were lifted to safety.

On February 4, 2013, off-duty Inspector Ron Wheeldon, of the Midland Police Service, and Sergeant Brent Young, of the Ontario Provincial Police, were instrumental in stopping an assault on a woman in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Messrs. Wheeldon and Young broke into a hotel room where an intoxicated man was abusing his wife. The man turned on the officers and a struggle ensued. They managed to lead the man outside, giving the woman a chance to escape. Hotel security guards then restrained the assailant until the police arrived.

FACT SHEET ON THE DECORATIONS FOR BRAVERY

BACKGROUND

The Decorations for Bravery were created in 1972. They recognize people who risk their lives and choose to defy their own instinct of survival to try to save a loved one or a perfect stranger whose life is in immediate danger.

The three levels of the Decorations for Bravery reflect the degree to which the recipients put themselves at risk:

The Cross of Valour (C.V.) recognizes acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril.

TheStar of Courage (S.C.) recognizes acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril.

Anyone is free to propose the name of a person who has risked injury or death in an attempt to rescue another person. The incident need not have taken place in Canada, and the rescuer need not be Canadian, but Canadians or Canadian interests must be involved. The decorations may be awarded posthumously.

Nominations must be made within two years of the incident, or within two years after a public entity, including a court, a quasi-judicial tribunal or a coroner, has concluded its review of the circumstances surrounding the incident or act of bravery.